Sign the 99% Declaration

First NameLast NameEmailZip Send me email

A New Declaration

The 99% Declaration

WHEREAS THE FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION PROVIDES THAT:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

BE IT RESOLVED THAT WE, THE PEOPLE of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, in order to form a more perfect Union, by, for and of the People, shall elect citizen Delegates between June 1-7, 2012 to attend and convene a NEWCONTINENTAL CONGRESS the week of July 4, 2012 in the City Of Philadelphia. The Delegates shall then deliberate, draft and ratify a PETITION FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES to be served upon the United States Congress, Supreme Court and President, prior to November 6, 2012.

THE PEOPLE through these non-partisan locally elected Delegates shall gather to condemn and demand redress from the individuals currently in control of the United States government. We denounce the entrenched politicians and lobbyists:

-for engaging in all manner of corrupt practices to remain in office at any cost, attain money and accrue personal power;

-for continuously violating the public's trust and general welfare of the People of the United States of America by auctioning public policy to the highest bidder;

-for abandoning the precious covenant between those who govern and the People based upon an oath to protect and defend our Constitution;

-for placing petty partisan political interests above all other concerns including the short and long term interests of the People of the United States of America and the very continuation of this planet as a viable ecosystem for our children; and

-for failing to govern with integrity, equity and ethics absent all self-serving conflicts of interest.

I. Voter Qualifications and Procedure for the Election of Delegates.

Between June 1, 2012 to June 7, 2012, the People, consisting of all United States citizens and lawful permanent residents who have reached the age of 18, regardless of party affiliation and voter registration status, shall elect two Delegates, one identifying as male and one identifying as female, by online vote, from each of the 435 Congressional Districts, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia to represent the People at a new Continental Congress referred to herein as CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0.

The office of Delegate shall be open to all United States citizens and lawful permanent residents who have attained the age of 18 years. No candidate for Delegate to CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0 will be permitted to run on a party line or use any party label while running for or serving as a Delegate. No candidate or Delegate may take contributions from any source except to fund his or her trip to CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0 in Philadelphia. No politician holding elected or appointed office at the time of the Delegate election, including members of Congress, are eligible to run for or sit as a Delegate to CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0.

The 99% Working Group and its steering committee shall organize, coordinate and transparently fund the election of Delegates. The Delegates shall be free from the corrupting influence of corporate money and all funds raised by the 99% Working Group shall be used for the purpose of funding the election of Delegates. Additional rules for the election of Delegates are published HERE.

II. CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0 on July 2nd-4th, 2012

In addition to ensuring a free and fair election of the Delegates to CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0, the 99% Working Group shall be responsible for raising sufficient funds to secure a venue wherein the 878* Delegates may convene, deliberate and ratify the PETITION FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES.

Because the time to deliberate in Philadelphia will be limited, the Delegate candidates and elected Delegates shall meet electronically, or in person if possible, to confer with the People to write a draft of the PETITION FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES before convening in July.

Similar to the first two Continental Congresses of 1774-1776, the elected Delegates alone, in consultation with their constituents will be responsible for the content of the final petition ratified in Philadelphia. Moreover, subject to the election rules and requirements for Delegates, the Delegates to CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0 shall implement their own procedures, agenda, code of conduct, internal elections and/or appointments of committee members and officers to efficiently and expeditiously accomplish the People's mandate to present a PETITION FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES to all three branches of the government of the United States of America before the 2012 general election in November.

III. Ratification of the Petition for a Redress of Grievances.

The PETITION FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES, ratified by CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0, shall be non-partisan and specifically address the critical issues now confronting the 99% of the People of the United States of America primarily due to the corrupting influence of unlimited money flowing into political campaigns and the urgent need for sweeping election reform. The ratified PETITION FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES will be signed by the Delegates and presented at a reading ceremony on the afternoon of July 4, 2012. The Petition will then be presented to all 535 members of Congress, the 9 members of the Supreme Court and the President of the United States for response before the November 6, 2012 general election.

IV. Suggested Content of the Petition for a Redress of Grievances.

Each state delegation to CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0, prior to June 15, 2012, shall submit to the 99% Working Group, a list of their state's five most signficant grievances against the federal government. The grievances from each state will then be compiled into a master list of suggested grievances to be voted upon by the Delegates during the three day convention in July. The final PETITION FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES may or may not include the following points:

Corporations Are Not People

Corporations, unions, political organizations and all entities created by operation of law are not human beings and any law, rule, regulation or court ruling so holding must be overruled, repealed or overturned even if it requires a Constitutional amendment.

Money Is Property Not Speech

Money is not speech it is property and any law, rule, regulation or court ruling so holding must be overruled, repealed or overturned even if it requires a Constitutional amendment.

Campaign Finance Reform

New legislation to enact a 100% public campaign finance system requiring an immediate ban on all direct and indirect private contributions of money, or anything of value, from all sources including individuals, to all politicians or political parties to be replaced by a "blind" public trust whereby taxpayers will fund all federal election campaigns. Private donors may also contribute to the blind trust for a tax deduction but those private contributions may not be earmarked for a specific candidate or political party.

New legislation to impose a $2500 aggregate campaign contributions limit per human being per election cycle. Legal entities such as corporations, PACS, Super-PACS and unions to be barred from making any direct or indirect contributions to politicians.

A total ban on corporate and union political expenditures to or in favor of political candidates or political parties.

Retaining the current campaign finance system but enacting new laws making all direct and indirect political contributions to politicians and political parties completely transparent and published online and elsewhere. Specifically, there must be total transparency for any person, corporation, union or other entity including PACS, Super-PACS or not-for-profit organizations that make political contributions or buy advertising time to advocate for any politician, political party or political view because money is property and not speech.

New laws banning all private expenditures on advertisements endorsing a particular candidate or political party or attacking a candidate or political party

New laws banning foreign money and the use of cash in all federal political campaigns.

Public broadcasting licenses granted by the FCC and other regulators must mandate calendar specific dates and specific time slots which are available to candidates for elected federal office at a 90% discounted market rate for the purpose of campaigning whether funded by taxpayers or by private sources.

Healthcare

Repeal of prior healthcare laws and immediate enactment of "Medicare for all" or a new single-payer healthcare system.

New laws permitting the federal government to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies to set prices for medications.

Reintroduction of compulsory exercise programs in all public schools to combat the epidemic of obesity.

Employment

Passage of a comprehensive jobs and job-training act like the "American Jobs Act" to employ our citizens in jobs that are available with free relocation services, specialized re-training through partnerships between companies seeking employees and community colleges and other educational institutions.

Immediate passage of a law, similar to the “Lilly Ledbetter” bill, requiring equal pay for women with stiff financial penalties imposed on employers for violating the law.

Re-institution of the Works Progress Administration, Civilian Conservation Corps and similar emergency governmental agencies tasked with creating new projects to provide jobs for the families of the 151 million People living in poverty and low income homes.

Tax incentives granted to companies who partner with educational institutions to re-train workers to work in green energy and new sources of American manufacturing to reduce reliance on imported goods, services and natural resources.

Tax incentives should also be offered to U.S. companies that invest in reconstructing the manufacturing capacity of the United States and hiring our citizens to produce and innovate.

Tax incentives to entice businesses to hire our citizens rather than outsource jobs and a new “outsourcing tax” should be introduced to discourage businesses from sending jobs overseas and companies that continue to outsource will be barred from earning income in U.S. markets.

Protection Of The Environment

The rights to clean air, water, safe food, and conservation of the planet for future generations shall no longer be infringed by greed-driven corporations and selfish individuals who care for nothing except money and instant gratification.

Tax incentives to rapidly transition away from poisonous fossil fuels and nuclear energy {those government subsidies should be eliminated immediately} to safe, non-toxic, reusable or carbon neutral sources of energy such as wind, solar, geothermal and hydroelectric.

New comprehensive treaties, laws and regulations must be immediately enacted to give the Environmental Protection Agency, and other environmental protection regulators around the world, expanded cross-border powers and resources to shut down corporations, businesses or entities that intentionally or recklessly damage the environment.

New federal laws enforcing mandatory recycling programs now in effect in some US cities and many countries must be uniformly adopted in the US in addition to controlling the unchecked dumping of waste into our oceans, air and ground by imposing meaningful fines on violators.

A new treaty to reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere from its current level of 392 parts per million to below 350 parts per million.

No “corporate veil” protection for any employee, officer or director of a corporation that is directly or indirectly engaged in the intentional or reckless decimation of the planet for profit.

Tax Reform

A Progressive tax on gross income, from a minimum tax rate of X% to a maximum tax rate of 3X%.

A federal consumption tax of 10% on each dollar except for purchases of food, medicine, housing and clothing.

Any corporation or entity that does business in the United States and generates income from that business in the United States shall be fully taxed on that income by removing deductions, subsidies and loopholes regardless of corporate domicile or they will be barred from earning their profits in the United States.

The $4 billion per year “hedge fund loophole” which permits certain individuals engaged in financial transactions to evade graduated income tax rates by treating their income as capital gains shall be immediately abolished.

Elimination of all tax deductions except: (1) interest paid on mortgages for one's primary residence; (2) Contributions to charitable institutions, up to a total of one-tenth of annual gross income; (3) Interest earned on bonds issued by the governments of any state, municipality or other sub-division of the federal and U.S. domestic government.

No household with an income at or below the poverty line (responsibility for making this calculation having been shifted to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) shall be subject to federal income tax action.

Criminal Justice Reform

Abolish the death penalty in all states or lose federal funding for law enforcement.

Curtailing the “Private Prison Industrial Complex” by removing all incentives in the legal system set-up to imprison non-violent drug offenders and the mentally ill rather than treat or provide alternatives to incarceration. Non-violent drug offenders who do not engage in drug sales, and those with mental health issues must be treated rather than imprisoned and adjudicated through specialized drug and mental health courts.

The federal government and all states must provide a free attorney to every criminal defendants at all stages of every criminal case beginning at arrest and arraignment or lose all federal funding for law enforcement.

Legalization of marihuana for recreational and medicinal use in all US Jurisdictions or loss of federal funding for law enforcement to states and municipalities.

Require that all prisoners be granted a DNA test at taxpayer expense in their cases if a genetic sample is available in the particular case.

The United States should sign the treaty submitting to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, which tries individuals for committing war crimes.

All laws prohibiting convicted felons from voting must be repealed unless the felon was convicted of election or voter fraud.

Election Reform & Ending Voter Disenfranchisement

Abolishing the Electoral College In favor of the popular vote In presidential elections.

Election day shall becomes a federal holiday requiring employees to provide sufficient time for employees to vote on that day.

Compulsory voting with fines imposed on voters for failing to vote.

New election laws and rules, and amendment of the constitution if necessary, to provide for a gender balance in Congress so that 50% of the seats are reserved for people who identify as women and 50% reserved for people who identify as men.

Uniform rules for the mandatory use of verifiable, tamper-proof voting machines in all states supervised by the Federal Elections Commission rather than local political parties.

New election laws banning all rules in all states that hinder the right to vote whether it is called a test or requiring the presentation of identification; the federal government shall issue free photo identification cards to all voters.

New election laws banning all rules in all states that prevent equal access to the ballot by giving advantages to certain political parties or penalizing independent candidates for office.

New federal laws passed authorizing the FEC to impose uniform rules in all states and districts setting forth the criteria for excluding a person from voting and the use of the same verifiable voting systems in all voting precincts; all elections are to be run by employees of the Federal Election Commission only; municipalities will no longer run elections when federal candidates are running for office; the federal government shall pay for this uniform, secure, cost-effective and verifiable voting system.

The practice of "gerrymandering" shall be ended and replaced with a non-partisan commission to redraw all voting district lines using a neutral, objective mathematical formula or algorithm that does not take into consideration the wealth, party affiliation, race, religion or other demographics of voters.

New federal laws requiring that no political party shall be privileged or receive special advantage in any state for their candidates running for Congress or the Presidency.

New election laws to ban all publically reported polling two weeks before election day and completely ending the practice of so-called "exit polling" and early return reporting by the media which contaminates the democratic process.

Open primaries in all states for all parties in all races for federal office so that all voters may vote in any primary.

Reinstatement of the "equal time" rules so that each candidate for office is given equal free air time on television, radio, cable, or any other medium licensed and regulated by the federal government.

Fiscal Responsibility

Passage of a law to reduce the $15 trillion national debt to a sustainable percentage of GDP by 2020 by re-implementing the Clinton era income tax rates, increasing the capital gains tax rate, ending the hedge fund loophole, no oil and gas subsidies, and mandatory cuts in defense and entitlement spending except for social security which is self-sustaining.

Congress must pass immediate legislation (see e.g. H.R. 639) to encourage China (which undervalues its currency by up to 40%) to end currency manipulation and take additional steps to reduce our massive trade deficit.

Passage of a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.

The immediate formation of a non-partisan commission to audit and investigate the short-term and long-term economic risks and benefits in eliminating the Federal Reserve Bank and transferring all its functions to the United States Treasury Department

Passage of the line item veto amendment to the Constitution.

The United States government shall begin to measure economic growth by the GPI (Genuine Progress Indicator) rather than GDP (Gross Domestic Product)

To reduce the principal on all outstanding student loans, a financial transaction surcharge, similar to those fees charged by banks on consumers, will be introduced to banks and securities firms.

Government Ethics Reform & Closing “The Revolving Door”

After leaving government service, no federal elected or unelected official shall receive anything of value, for a period of five years, or work in any capacity to influence the actions of the federal government, with the sole exception of exercising their own personal First Amendment right to speak and publish.

All federal employees, politicians and officials are entitled to their salary, benefits, pension and nothing else. Any gift or thing of value given or promised to a politician or federal employee or immediate family valued at more than $5 will be deemed a bribe and punished under the criminal laws.

The revolving door between the federal government and the private lobbying sector must be closed and no federal employee, official or politicians may ever work as a lobbyist upon leaving office.

Amend the constitution to establish an elected "General Public Assembly" as a fourth branch of government to oversee the two houses of Congress in all matters particularly ethics.

Immediate passage of laws stating that the trading of inside information shall be a crime for all elected and unelected officials and government employees just as it is a crime for all other Americans. No politician or government employee is above the law.

New laws to require mandatory minimum prison sentences for anyone convicted, upon plea or after trial, of public corruption or bribery involving any public official or employee.

New laws enacted to end the so-called “filibuster rule” in the Senate, which requires a supermajority of votes to pass virtually any legislation.

No elected or unelected official or their immediate family members may hold stocks of any public company while in office or five years after leaving office unless said stocks are held in a blind investment trust.

No member of the military shall own or hold any stock or share in any corporation or other entity that the official specifically regulates while in service and shall last five years after the term of military service ends.

Declaratory relief from the US Supreme Court for citizens residing in Puerto Rico and the four US territories to revise and repeal of the so-called "insular cases".

Full voting representation in Congress for the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Tax reforms to treat the citizens of Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia as if they were citizens of any other state.

Veterans Benefits

All Veterans and their dependents must have access to the consolidated military health care system just as active duty dependents have access.

Funding must be increased to assist veterans returning to civilian life to pursue their education goals and become gainfully employed.

Protecting Consumers From Predatory Practices on Wall Street and Main Street

An immediate freeze on all primary residential home foreclosures (not second homes) and new direct loan mortgages or refinancing to all homeowners by the federal government at the discount window rate (about 0-.25%) less processing fees incurred by the federal government; all lending institutions shall barred from the mortgage writing business in favor of these direct federal loans.

Creation and proper funding of a non-partisan task force specifically designed to regulate mortgage-backed securities and speculative financial instruments.

Immediate reenactment of the Glass-Steagall Act; implementation of the regulations required under the Dodd-Franks Act; vigorous enforcement of the “Volcker Rule” and enforcement of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act in all industries to enhance competition and free speech.

Increased funding for the SEC, FINRA, CFTC, CFPB, and to the Justice Department and State Attorneys General to investigate potential criminal practices of the Securities and Banking industries especially in the areas of mortgage backed securities, hedge funds and speculation

Student Loan Debt Relief & Grants

Because education is the only way to secure our future success as a nation, interest on student debts must be immediately reduced to 2% or less (plus the discount window rate currently 0.0 to 0.25%) and repayments deferred for periods of unemployment or illness or disability. Employers will receive a student loan repayment tax deduction for paying off the student loans of their employees.

Outright federal grants provided to those students who pursue and obtain degrees in the sciences, green energy, environmental sustainability, mathematics, technology and engineering.

Public and private universities and colleges that do not reduce tuition to affordable levels so that middle class-families can again afford to send their children to obtain a higher education shall lose all federal funding including grants and loans.

Ending The Communications Monopolies

Broadcast and cable television, radio and print communications are controlled by too few corporations and individuals so new laws and regulations must be passed immediately to fund, authorize and mandate the Anti-Trust Division of the U.S. Justice Department to break-up the 6-10 massive media conglomerates that control virtually all media content which is an existential threat to free thought and speech in the United States.

Immigration Reform

The immediate passage of “The Dream Act” by Congress.

New legislation to secure our borders while streamlining the path to US citizenship especially for those qualified to work in high demand industries or skills required in the United States.

Non-citizens who obtain their education in the United States in highly demand fields should be provided an accelerated path to citizenship so the investments made in these students remain in the United States.

Protection Of Civil & Human Rights

New treaties, laws and regulations must be passed to ensure that the Internet will remain free for all people in the world to use and express themselves without government or corporate interference.

The immediate ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Repeal those portions of the Patriot Act that limit civil rights and repeal of those sections of the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act that permit indefinite detention of US Citizens.

The so-called Defense Of Marriage Act must be repealed for the reasons recently stated by the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

Ending Perpetual War For Profit

Immediately recalling all combat troops from Afghanistan.

Reinstitution of the draft or mandatory public service for males and females without any deferments or exceptions so that the wealthy and privileged who profit from war will be required to send their children to die with the children of the poor and middle class.

New laws to counter the Military Industrial Complex’s mission of perpetual war for profit, particularly in the Middle East, which dramatically benefits the Oil and Gas Industrial Complex due to fluctuations and speculation in the price of oil caused by incessant and unwarranted military intervention.

A new treaty with Russia, China, India, North Korea, Pakistan, Israel and the other countries with nuclear weapons or plans to make nuclear weapons, to reduce the number of nuclear weapons so complete nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation may be achieved by 2020 or sooner.Arrest and extradition to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, any person indicted or charged with war crimes, on upon probable cause, for intentionally and knowingly engaging in warfare based upon a false premise or pretext.

New laws to reinvigorate the War Powers Resolution to limit the deployment of military forces to only those instances where Congressional approval has been granted by at least a simple majority in both houses.

Term Limits

No new term limits should be imposed but new laws enacted so that Senators will not serve consecutive (six-year) terms and Representatives shall not serve more than two (two-year) terms consecutively.

Term limits: 4 years for house; 6 years for senate

Term limits: 8 years for house; 12 years for senate

Term limits: 12 years for house; 18 years for senate

Term limits: 16 years for house; 24 years for senate

Term limits: 10 years for the Supreme Court of the United States

Term limits: 20 years for the Supreme Court of the United States

V. Public Pledge, Demand For Redress and Other Political Action. Based upon the foregoing Declaration and plan of action, IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED that IF the July 4, 2012 PETITION FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES, ratified by CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0 is not redressed by the three branches of the United States government within a reasonable time and to the satisfaction of the Delegates, said Delegates shall (i) file a law suit in federal court against the government seeking injuntice relief; (ii) demand that the states call an Article V Constitutional Convention to amend the Constitution so that the grievances ratified on July 4, 2012 are remedied and (iii) organize and fund grassroots campaigns for independent congressional candidates in all 50 states in all 435 districts to fill every available congressional seat in the mid-term election of 2014. Only congressional candidates, regardless of party affiliation, who publicly pledge to redress all of the grievances and solutions contained in the ratified July 4, 2012 Petition will be supported.

Yes, there has not been any news that I have seen. Am most interested in getting the final draft of the grievances, and, for me, the set of the grievances from the committees as first presented, is the more important set of grievances.

The committees worked as hard as humanly possible to work out differences among themselves to come to consensus on issues. A lot of leaning among us was necessary. What the committee produced was what the process of education produced. The amended versions from the floor were what the uneducated opinions were; not nearly so good, in my and in many people’s opinions. Not sufficient discussion time, not enough time for real learning.

We could go to a direct democracy by offering the unamended grievances for public discussion on the web site and go through the same learning process together in a much larger group. This, imo, would greatly augment the effort the congress has made and repair some of the damage many of the amendments caused, simply from lack of knowledge among the public there. The entire group did not have the opportunity to have in-depth discussion of each grievance, therefore, the assembly simply amended the grievances to the “pre-committee” understanding they each had brought with them.

We, as a general public, could learn much by having a real discussion of the committee’s first grievances as the submitted them.

To me, this is a fine start with much accomplished with most of the grievances. We could expand the benefits enormously by now going to a direct democracy in discussing the grievances as first offered by committees.

I did not sign this at the convention. What was written at the convention and read in Independence Mall was only the penultimate version. A committee on style will be (was?) selected to hone and polish the document.

The promise was that the committee would be dealing with matters of style and usage only; to make sure the document speaks with one “voice”, and that the committee will not change any matters of substance.

I volunteered to serve on the committee, but so did many others. I look forward to seeing the final product of the committee with an attitude of hopeful skepticism.

But no one should buy a pig in a poke, (or, for those who observe the strictures of halal, kashrut, vegetarian or veganism, a block of tofu in a poke.)

*Not just legalize marijuana, but end the “War on Drugs” scam. It is a huge fraud and fund the illegal heroin and cocaine trade, encourages bank laundering of money, funds the shadow government, and keeps drug prices high and profits soaring for the criminals.

*Subject the military to environmental review standards in conducting operations. Their, “limited engagements” include the use of land mines, depleted uranium shells, phosphorus, and God knows what else.

*Institute a national currency.
Do not require a balanced budget, but revoke the Federal Reserve Act.
Make Congress have to declare war or any hostilities, and then make them have to pay for them by raising taxes. They will net be reelected if they raise taxes, therefore, they will not declare wars.

*Institute a national code of conduct, as the one embodied in the Flag of the United States. If there is no agreed upon standard of ethical conduct, there are no lows sufficient to make men honest. Teach what is meant to be a citizen of the United States, and see that our behavior meets these standards.

I see not reason not to adopt all that are sensible. There is nothing to be gained by limiting the number arbitrarily.

61. New laws to fund and immediately establish a 23 member Citizen’s Ethics Panel comprised of ordinary citizens and experts on ethics to investigate and hear cases of alleged ethics violations by members and employees of Congress, Supreme Court and the Executive Branch. This panel shall operate like a grand jury and have subpoena power enforced by the contempt power of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Upon making a finding, the Panel shall refer any evidence of criminality to the Justice Department and/or relevant States Attorney General and further make specific recommendations for sanction to the House, Senate or President. In cases of ethics violations by the Supreme Court, the panel may file an ethics complaint with the appropriate disciplinary authority or bar association where the judge is admitted or recommendation for impeachment to be served upon Congress.
______________________________________________
This would allow the function of the grand jury to be carried out, and would open the way for, among other things, a new investigation of 9/11. This has to happen, now.